Under Caring Wings
by ThE KiDDo
Summary: Little Ezra and young Hannah take off on a mission to save Josie: the Teddy Bear. (Little Ezra AU)
1. I Am Here

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Title: Under Caring Wings.  
  
**_Summary:_** Just when you think you got friends who truely care, the carpet's pulled right from under your feet, sending you into the unkown.  
  
**_Disclaimer:_** Dun own 'em, blah blah blah, yada yada yada, no money's made from this fic.  
  
**_Archive:_** Yeah, sure!  
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**_Open Fandom:_** Nope, at least not until I figure out if there's a sequel or not.

**_Auhtor's Note:_** Hello, everybody! It's a new fanfic writer, ThE KiDDo, who will haunt you from now on! This is my very first fic for M7, and I have to warn you that I LOVE l'il Ezra!! You'll notice that in the future, but for now, just continue on with this fic. R&R!  
  
**_Thanks:_** To Beth who beta'ed this chapter for me. Thank you for your wonderful work.  
  
**_P.S.:_** This fic was posted before in "Ezra's Littleverse" group and Archive.

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The hall was dark. The setting sun was barely able to light the hall in front of him and the curtains that covered every window in the house didn't help, allowing almost enough light to help the small form to see where his feet stepped but nothing more, sending the house into a dark mood fitting it perfectly. The lack of light preventing anyone from seeing the dust that covered the place, getting along with the mood effectively. 

A small hand was on the wall, leading its owner across the hall and warning him when he was about to face a room with an open door. A brown-haired head peeked carefully around the door, studying the room that had its door open. He heaved a sigh of relief when he found it empty. Two rooms down, one to go. 

Five-year-old Ezra P. Standish never believed that the boogieman really existed, but after living in this house for a couple of months, he started to doubth his previous beliefs seriously. Maude's boy wasn't like other kids, who looked under their beds to make sure that no monster was hiding there, only to find out that it was their lost teddy. No, Ezra wasn't like that. However, in this house, there was a REAL monster living inhabiting it. He even had his own room, which was the biggest one in the house. No, the monster in this house didn't need to hide under Ezra's bed; he had his own. 

He made his way cautiously, careful not to make any sound, across the hall. The little kid was careful to make sure that the rooms he had passed were empty. He knew better than to get caught sneaking out of his room, especially during the stay-in-your-rooms-with-locked-door hours. The southerner knew that Josiah ordered him not to step out of his room while he wasn't home, but the southerner needed to be with Hannah. Though locked in his room --which was located in the end of the hall-- Ezra was able to hear his friend crying in her room in the other end on the hall, as if the walls were made of thin paper. 

Ezra checked the last room carefully; another empty room. Now he could get to Hannah with no trouble, he still had to be cautious though. He could never know when "the boogieman" decided to show up, but for now, he didn't really care, what he REALLY cared about was reaching Hannah and calming her down. The green-eyed boy never liked seeing Hannah upset, she was too nice to deserve being saddened by anyone. He wanted to cheer her up; he wanted her happy with her wide-smile etched across her young face. 

However, that wasn't the only reason for wanting to calm her down, there was the fear of Mr. Sanchez hearing her sobs. Ezra learned from experience that Gerard Sanchez didn't like to hear anyone crying. Hannah got bruises to remind her, matching his own when he tried to defend her. The southerner didn't want her to be all blue and purple once again. 

Finally, after his suicidal adventure of crossing the hall, he was standing in front of the youngest Sanchez's room. He could still hear her crying. She had calmed down a bit since he departed for his voyage. He stopped for a moment, pondering how to announce his presence. At last he decided to play one of his and Hannah's favorite games. Ezra was sure that it would cheer her up a bit. 

Ezra rapped quietly on the door, noticing the immediate silence in the room, and called softly; not wanting the elder Sanchez downstairs to hear him. "Knock, Knock!" 

He heard a few sniffles as the older girl tried desperately to clear her nostrils followed with a gulp. "Who is it?" 

"It's da wolf!" He replied with a big grin, as though Hannah would see it and cheer up. And as if Hannah really did see the dimpled grin, she giggled. She always did, little Ezra thought at first that the former-missionary man's daughter was making fun of him, but Miss Sanchez once told him that she had never seen someone's cheeks go in like his. She added a giggle, finding it cute. The southerner wondered how Hannah never saw dimples before, he found out later that the young girl hadn't left the house since she was six. Mr Sanchez didn't like his mentally-retarded daughter and thought of her as a disappointment and disgrace. He'd always wished that she'd passed away with her mother during her birth. 

"What d'ya wan'?" The voice asked with a different tone, filled with sudden excitement and happiness. 

"I want an egg," he replied softly, proud of himself for making Hannah happy again. It seemed that the game was the greatest decision he'd made that month. 

"What color?" She asked, knowing the drill by heart. 

"Dat's easy!" He exclaimed with a smile. Hannah never changed the color. "It's rwed!" 

The young boy's award was a soft click of a door being unlocked. The wooden door toward little Hannah's Room was opened quickly and he found himself pulled into a bear hug. He was released as quickly as he was embraced; he locked the door as soon as he was able to. Ezra didn't want to risk Gerard getting to them. 

The two kids sat silently on the bed with the older one pouting at the other, the youngster raised an eyebrow at the eleven-year-old girl that sat next to him. "What?" 

Hannah looked at him with confusion, "Wha' What?" she asked, her mind not able to catch the boy's meaning. 

"Why da pout?" Ezra asked, berating himself inwardly, he knew that he should be straight-forward with Miss Sanchez. 

"Oh," she paused for a moment, pondering what pout the southerner was talking about. "Oh," she repeated again, as she realized what he meant, her pout re-appearing on her sweet face as she remembered that she was supposed to be pouting. "I was wonderin' when ya tellin' me," she took a pause to arrange her sentence, "tellin' me how ya know the color... each, each time?" 

"Tol' ya befowe dat it's a secwet, I can't tell you or it wouldn't be a secwet anymorwe." As Maude's little boy's words left his mouth, Hannah burst out crying, startling Ezra violently, no matter how hard the kid tried, he was never able to get used to the blue-eyed girl's mood swings. She threw herself into his thin arms and sobbed, while Ezra awkwardly patted her back; wondering if he had just made Hannah upset again. Hoping not, he asked worriedly, "What's 'rwong?" 

She pulled back and hiccupped, fisting her eyes before answering sadly, "My teddy!" She wailed, "Daddy threw Jossy away. I wan' ma teddy!" And with that, she was crying again. Joge was her best friend in the whole world next to her big brother, Josiah. She named it after her brother and father, taking the first two letters from each name. 'Jo' came first because she liked Josiah better than Gerard. 

Ezra tried to calm her down while patting her back; he knew how much the navy-blue teddy meant to Hannah. It was the only thing that was there for her when Josiah wasn't around. Ezra didn't hesitate as he stood and took Hannah's hand, if bringing Joge back would cheer her up, then he'd do it right away. "It's otay, Hannah." He said softly, helping the girl to stand up. "I'll get it back." 

"Yo'd do that for me?" She asked, wide-eyed, tears still clinging to her long eyelashes. She might be mentally-retarded, but she did know the risk Ezra was going to make for her. 

"Of couwrse!" he declared heading for the door, he started to unlock it when a shaking hand stopped him. He turned to look at the frightened young girl shaking her head, he immediately understood what she was terrified about. "Dun worry, Hannah. He's pwobably asweep by now." 

She blinked at him, processing what she had been told before nodding and taking his hand in hers, "Me go with you. Go get Joge." 

"Yeah," Ezra agreed, "Let's do dat!" He opened the heavy door slowly, not wanting to make a noise, all the while feeling the grip on his hand tighten.  
  


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**AN:** Hope you've liked that, I'll post the other chapters soon. Reviews are HIGHLY appreciated! I'd like to know what you think of it. Thanks for reading.


	2. Hand In Hand

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Title: Under Caring Wings.  
  
**_Summary:_** Just when you think you got friends who truely care, the carpet's pulled right from under your feet, sending you into the unkown.  
  
**_Disclaimer:_** sighs sadly No, I dun own any of the characters.  
  
**_Archive:_** If you want to, but tell me first.  
  
**_Auhtor's Note:_** This is the second chapter, hope you're gonna like it. R&R  
  
**_Thanks:_** To Marilyn who beta'ed this chapter for me. You've done an awsome job!  
  
**_P.S.:_** This fic was posted before in "Ezra's Littleverse" group and Archive.  
  


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A faint squeak filled the house for a moment, sounding like a bomb shattering the creepy sielnce, which seemed to be the house's life-time companion, into pieces. It returned, this time lasting longer as the door was opened slowly in a hopeless attempt not to make any noise, causing two little hearts to beat faster in fear. 

Carefully, a chestnut head poked round the -now- open door and the biggest green eyes wandered around the hall, checking it for any signs of the boogieman. Finding none, the boy soundlessly exited the room, a frightened pale-blue-eyed girl hot on his heel. Hand in hand, they walked through the semi-dark hall. 

The hall was plain with nothing decorating it. When --if-- the sun rays were allowed to light it, they would reveal the sickly grey painting that was used on the walls and the patches of peeling paint, which had uncovered the brown rotting wood. Just taking a glance at the old fabric would tell about how old this house was and clearly state that it was standing on its last leg. 

But the young children gave no heed to the poor-painted, plain hall; they've both been here enough to memorize every single detail of the house, and memorize it they did. Pretty well at that. You had to when you got a monster on your tail and needed a place to hide. Mr Sanchez was good enough towards the young Southerner in the start, but one night --the reasons unclear to the five-year-old child-- the giant threw the door open and lashed at him in his sleep. Though Ezra couldn't understand most of the elder Sanchez yelling, he was able to make out some swearing and his mother being called somethings he was used to hear, but never really understood. 

That night, Josiah came like a hero and snatched Ezra away from his drunken father. But it was already too late; Standish had to spend four days in bed before he was able to stand without keeling over. 

Since then, Ezra had studied the house inch-by-inch trying to find as many proper hideouts as he could. Gone was nice Mr Sanchez, that man who smiled and talked in low, rich voice. For almost four months now, all what Ezra saw of Gerard was him carrying a large bottle of whiskey -which would be shaken in the air in a threat- and yelling, or watching over his slim shoulder as Sanchez chased after him. 

Ezra shuddered at the memories, he could never understand why Mr Sanchez was so mad at him nor could get the reasons behind his beatings. The old man was like a wild animal, never knowing when it would strike, his movements unpredicitable. 

That was all what he had learned about the elder Sanchez within the five months he had been forced to stay in the creepy house. The young southerner was used to be left behind on one's of the many branches of his family tree doorstep, no matter how weak nor how long the branch was. It didn't even matter if the branch belonged to another tree. He would be left behind. 

That was how Ezra ended up here, finding himself once again abandoned under the care of a stranger. New names and new faces, nothing familiar. Always somebody he didn't know, somebody he didn't hear of. 'Who awre they?' He would ask his dear mother before they reach their distination. Never once did she repeat a same answer, always a new answer. New people. 

And now here he was, a warm hand in his as he walked down the hallway to get to the stairs with one of the few friends in his life: Hannah Sanchez. Their footsteps barely making a noise, as though they didn't touched the ground, and their breaths hardly could be heard as they took their need of oxygen through their small mouths. 

Like a pair of ghosts, that was how they walked. Not making a sound, finding their way through the darkness and using it to their advantage as they hide in the shadows. 

"You see him?" Hannah's whispered voice shuttered the silence into pieces causing Ezra to jump slightly. Feeling him startle, she tightened her grip and looked frantically around; trying to find the monster that she knew as her father. 

"No," She relaxed at his clipped answer and started to walk again, but nevertheless, she didn't stop searching for Gerard in the dark. 

"Ezra?" She called softly, "You think Josie okay? Papa thrown 'im real hard." 

"Dun wowwy, Hannah!" He smiled at her in assurance, "I'm suwre he's jus' fine, he's so stwong, jus' wike 'siah." 

She giggled and bobbed her head up and down in agreement, "You're right! He's strong, even papa won't be able to hurt 'im." 

She suddenly bumped into Ezra as the younger child stopped. Her brow wrinkled in confusion, "Ezra? Why you--" She wasn't able to complete her question, as she looked over Standish's shoulder, letting it hang. 

They had reached the stairs.  
  


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**AN:** Thanks for reading guys, reviews are still appreciated. Next chappy's around the corner. 


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